


Unleash the Magic

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-08-10 14:24:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7848520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Magic returns to Jorvik. Takes place during the Star Stable disc games.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Hey, Louisa!” Louisa looked up upon hearing her name and, seeing Kate waving her over, smiled and trotted her horse over to her friend.

“Hi,” said Louisa, pushing some of her long auburn hair behind her ear. “What’s up?”

“Well, you know that Hermit who lives up on top of the mountains?” asked Kate, gesturing to them.

“Of course I do, he’s been helping me get Bella’s discipline up,” said Louisa, patting her mare’s neck.

“Cool. Well, anyway, he’s summoned us to him,” said Kate. “It sounds interesting.” 

“How so?” asked Louisa.

“Have you heard about any of the ancient legends of Jorvik?” asked Kate. “Like, this huge demon and these girls called the Soul Riders.”

“Yes,” said Louisa, grinning. “When I was a little girl, I used to dream about being one of the Soul Riders. It’s partly why I took up riding.”

“Aww, now that’s cute,” said Kate. She swung herself up onto her dapple grey horse. “A lot of girls have that dream. Anyway, the Hermit said that he has to talk to us about the legends.”

“Just us two?” asked Louisa, following her friend up the mountain. “And why didn’t he tell me face-to-face?”

“You’re a hard girl to track down,” said Kate. “Always flitting from one end of the river to the other. Mostly to see my sister.” Louisa blushed as Kate smirked at her.

“And why couldn’t you come to find me?” asked Louisa.

“I can’t leave my six bar course. Other riders might want to try it or train their horses there,” said Kate.

“Other riders such as a certain girl who runs the trails?” asked Louisa. Now it was her turn to smirk as Kate blushed.

“Hey, not everyone can be as lucky as you in love,” said Kate. She looked ahead, carefully navigating the steep, rocky terrain.

“I wouldn’t call it love,” said Louisa. “We just sleep together.”

“Call it what you will, you make her happy. So, I’m happy,” said Kate. 

“You know, you could just go up to Alex and talk to her,” said Louisa. “You’re leaving your course right now to go up to see the Hermit. And that’s a lot farther away than the trails.”

“This is more important than seeing a girl,” said Kate. “According to the Hermit, it could change the world.”

“What, are we going to become Soul Riders? Is Aideen herself going to come down and bless us?” asked Louisa.

“You sound sceptical,” said Kate. “Some of us believe in this stuff, you know.”

“Alex believes in it,” said Louisa. She heard Kate gasp quietly, and could imagine her grin.

“We have something in common,” said Kate, her voice like that of a teenager getting noticed by her crush. “Maybe I could talk to her about it.”

“Yes, if you could work up the courage to go to her in the first place,” said Louisa. “Stop at this shelter up here, Bella’s thirsty.”

While Louisa watered her horse, Kate looked higher up the mountain.

“It’s so high up,” said Kate. “It’d suck to be scared of heights.”

“Yes, it does,” said Louisa. “The view is nice but I can’t help thinking of what would happen if Bella’s hoof slipped.” She shuddered.

“Trust in your horse,” said Kate. “She won’t let you fall.”

“That’s exactly what the Hermit says,” said Louisa. She mounted her horse again. “It’s not like I can communicate with her mentally, like the Soul Riders could.”

“That would be cool though,” said Kate. “I’ll let you go ahead this time, Bella is a bit faster than my horse.”

“Okay. You’ll catch me if I fall?” asked Louisa, looking back at her.

“Of course. I wouldn’t want my sister to lose her special friend,” said Kate. She followed behind Louisa up the mountain.

“Did you ever want to be any Soul Rider in particular?” asked Louisa. “I used to play Soul Riders with my friends. We’d fight off Garnok’s Generals with sticks.” Kate giggled at the mental image.

“I always wanted to be the Moon,” said Kate. “Learning the past and future sounds really cool. Then I’d know if I should pursue certain romantic pursuits.”

“I thought of myself as the Sun,” said Louisa. “Travelling to different worlds just sounds awesome.” Bella breathed a little easier once they’d rode up the steepest of the slopes, despite the thinner air here.

“I wonder what this guy wants,” said Kate. “I’m sure it’ll be fun, whatever it is.”

“It must be something big, if he wants both of us here,” said Louisa. She rode over to the Hermit, and Kate stopped beside her.

“We’re here,” said Kate. “What did you call us here for, Hermit?”

“Ah, Kate and Louisa, so good to see you,” said the Hermit, smiling at them. “Now, have you heard about the Soul Riders?”

“Yes,” said Kate, her blue eyes lighting up. “Are you going to turn us into them?”

“Well, not exactly,” said the Hermit. “Come, follow me. Off your horses, I don’t know how this will be.” He walked out onto the strange Stone Circle, and Louisa and Kate followed him. Louisa could see dark shapes burned into the rock, but she couldn’t make out what the image was.

“Oh my gosh, is this an ancient image of the Soul Riders?” asked Kate, looking down at the image.

“Yes indeed,” said the Hermit. “Now, I have to remember how to do this.” He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, they glowed. A strange aura surrounded him, one tinged with pink. Stars appeared too in the pink, floating around him.

“What’s going on?” asked Louisa. She took a step away from him, but Kate held her there.

“Look at the Stone Circle!” Kate squealed, tugging on the sleeve of Louisa’s green top. Louisa looked down to find that the strange image was being outlined in purple. First a strange shape was outlined, and then more shapes were filled in. Four horses, with four girls near them.

“This may hurt a little,” said the Hermit, and that was all the warning that Louisa got before a burning light enveloped her from her feet upwards. Kate was undergoing a similar transformation, but Louisa only saw the bright light before the pain became too much.

Louisa woke up on cold stone, a blurry purple in her vision. She could also see a white shape somewhere nearby. And inside, she felt…

It was like a light had sunk into her. A light that was warm, inspiring bravery and greatness. She felt like she could take on the world. And she got up.

The Stone Circle was quite empty, but the shape was still glowing purple. The Hermit was nowhere to be seen, but the shape lying near her was her friend.

“Kate?” said Louisa. Her mouth felt dry, and she coughed. Louisa noticed that she was standing in the middle of the shape, while Kate was lying on a part of it that showed a lightning bolt shape which she was half on top of. Louisa walked over to her friend and tried to shake her shoulder, but a zap of static electricity pushed her back. “Ow.”

Kate heard her and finally stirred, groaning as she sat up. She held her head, gritting her teeth and squeezing her eyes shut.

“Are you okay?” asked Louisa, not daring to touch her.

 _“She is remembering centuries’ worth of memories,”_ said a voice in Louisa’s head.

“Who said that?” Louisa turned around, but there was nobody there except for her, Kate, and the horses. Bella neighed and walked over to her.

 _“It was me,”_ said the voice. Bella shook her head. _“This is confusing.”_

“You’re telling me,” said Louisa. “I got hit by some bright light and woke up sore, and suddenly my horse can talk to me?”

“Who are you talking to?” Kate’s voice was tiny and wavering.

“Bella. I can talk to her now. Or she can talk to me in my mind,” said Louisa, pointing to her horse. “That sounds crazy, doesn’t it?”

“No,” said Kate. “It doesn’t sound crazy. What sounds crazy is that I’m suddenly remembering that I’m a centuries-old General. But also a siren.” She pressed her head to her knees. “And my name is actually Katja.” She trembled. “My sisters are- and Alex is- and you’re-“ A gnarled hand touched her forehead, and Katja collapsed back onto the stone.

“What did you do?” asked Louisa, looking at the old man warily.

“It will be easier for her to relive the memories in dreams,” said the Hermit.

“Okay, that makes sense. Second question: why can’t I see properly?” asked Louisa. She had to squint to be able to see the old man frowning at her.

“Oh. Oh dear, now that is a problem,” said the Hermit. “Er, hold on.” A bright flash suddenly appeared, and then the old man handed Louisa something. “Here you are, this should remedy the problem.”

Louisa put the glasses on, and smiled at finally being able to see again. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“I have a feeling that you will have a great deal of questions,” said the Hermit, chuckling. “However, I will wait a while before answering them.”

“Oh no you won’t,” said Louisa, giving him a stern glare. “At least answer me this one thing: what happened?”

“Now, that I can answer,” said the Hermit. He smiled. “I have returned magic to the world, or at least begun the process.”

“Alright, so what happened to me?” asked Louisa. “I’m just a human. Aren’t I?”

“You, my dear, are no more human than your friend here,” said the Hermit. “And, I must confess, I am not human either.”

“What? Then what are you?” asked Louisa. Before her eyes, the old man shimmered. He shrunk down, becoming covered in blue fur. The stars remained the whole time.

“All in good time, Aideen,” said the blue squirrel. “Now, just as you once spread life across the land of Jorvik, your task is now to spread magic throughout the land.”

“How?” asked Louisa. She clenched her hands into fists. “You’re not giving me any answers!”

“Simply come into close proximity with another, your magic will know what to do,” said the squirrel. “Your friend will awaken in time. If the terrain were not so treacherous, you would be able to tie her to her horse and lead it back to her course.”

“So in the meantime, I just wait here?” asked Louisa. “What if night falls?”

“Hmm. Well, I suppose that you can go down yourself and bring back someone to take care of her,” said the squirrel. “Someone could ride her horse while she is tied behind or in front of them.”

“I know just the person,” said Louisa, and smiled. “But you’re still not answering, you’re just giving me more questions!”

“And I will answer them when the time is right,” said the squirrel. “I must be off now, though. Goodbye.”

“Hey, get back here, you stupid squirrel!” Louisa growled, chasing after the rodent as he tried to escape. There was a laugh and a twist in space-time, and then he was gone. “Who even are you?”

The answer came to her on the wind.

“Fripp.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louisa continues to spread the magic

“Stupid squirrel,” said Louisa, and sighed as she looked at her still-sleeping friend. “Wait here, I’ll be back soon with someone to help you.”

 _“She probably won’t even wake up before you get back,”_ said Bella. 

“Probably but just in case, you look after her,” said Louisa, pointing to Katja’s horse. She’d never learned his name, but now he looked different, too. His coat almost seemed to glow, and his hooves were a bright orange like hot metal. Yet the horse didn’t look at all uncomfortable. Instead, he trotted over to his rider and stood beside her.

“Okay,” said Louisa, climbing up onto Bella. It felt different, now, sitting in her saddle. Like she and her horse were the same being. “Ooookay, that’s weird.”

 _“I can feel it too,”_ said Bella. _“It is quite strange. Let’s go find Alex, maybe she knows more.”_

Louisa rode down the mountain, navigating the rocky paths easier than ever. Katja’s six bar jumping course was still quite empty, but Louisa didn’t pay much attention to it. She rode on, following the path to where Alex had set up her trail tracks.

“Hey, Louisa. Come back for a ride?” asked Alex.

“No,” said Louisa. “Something weird has just happened, and I need someone to look after Kate while I go talk to someone.”

“Weird how?” asked Alex. “And why does she need looking after? Is she hurt?” Seeing the concern on Alex’s face, Louisa felt happy for her friend.

“No, she’ll be okay. I’ll explain on the way,” said Louisa. “Come on, it’s up the mountains.”

“Oh no, did the Hermit do something to her?” asked Alex, and frowned. “Because if he did…”

“You could say that,” said Louisa. “He did something to me too.”

“Something like what?” asked Alex, still frowning. She looked suspicious.

“Oh god no, not that,” said Louisa. “Just… well, how much do you know about the Soul Riders?”

“More than a lot of people on this island,” said Alex with more than a hint of pride. “Oh, did he bring them back?”

“Kinda I think,” said Louisa. “It’s confusing. He said that he’s returning magic to the island, and he said that I can go around returning magic to the people. Katja, I mean Kate, is a General, whatever that is. Also a siren. So maybe there are Soul Riders among us here on the island.”

“Cool,” said Alex. “So are you one of them?”

“Yes and no,” said Louisa. “I’m a Soul Rider but not one of the four famous ones.”

“Huh. I wonder who the four famous ones are,” said Alex. “How do you return magic to the people?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I have to touch you?” asked Louisa. “But I want to get you to Kate first. She needs someone to look after her.”

“Why, though? The Generals were the bad guys I think,” said Alex. “And why did you call her Katja?”

“That’s a long story,” said Louisa, pleased to see Alex finally mounting up and following alongside her back to the mountain.

“It’s a long ride up the mountain,” said Alex.

“Good point,” said Louisa. “Okay, I’ll tell you. Kate called me over and told me that the Hermit wanted us to go up the mountain…”

Louisa finally finished telling her story as they were crossing the bridge to where she’d left her friend.

“Well, that’s… weird. But cool,” said Alex. “So your horse can talk to you now?”

“Yeah, in my head,” said Louisa. She reached the Stone Circle and dismounted, walking over to check on her friend. Katja was still unconscious, her horse standing beside her like a sentinel.

“Just like a real Soul Rider,” said Alex. She walked her horse onto the Stone Circle, and suddenly Louisa felt static electricity charging the air. A glow seemed to surround Alex and her horse, and it intensified as she got closer to where Katja was.

“Be careful, it feels like-“ Louisa began, but a crackling drowned out her words as a bolt of lightning hit her friend. “Alex!”

“Yeah?” Alex looked at her. “What?”

“You… you just got struck by lightning! Are you okay?” asked Louisa, staring with wide eyes at her friend.

“What? No I didn’t. I’m fine,” said Alex. She paused, as if listening. “And my horse is fine too.”

“The Lightning has arrived,” said Fripp, but Louisa couldn’t see him. She scowled around.

“Really? I’m the Lightning Soul Rider?” asked Alex, and laughed. “That’s so cool!”

“Well, at least Katja will have a warrior looking after her,” said Louisa. “I should go now though, I have to see… someone.”

“You’re thinking about a booty call now of all times?” asked Alex.

“No! I’m just curious about what magic Sabine has,” said Louisa. “I feel like she does have magic. She has that strong connection to horses, after all.”

“Sure, that’s why you’re going to see her,” said Alex, and laughed. “Just go, I’ll be okay here looking after Katja.”

Louisa waited until Alex had dismounted and sat down beside Katja, and then she rode back down the mountain.

“I kind of wish that there was an easier way to get up and down the mountain,” said Louisa.

 _“You think you’re tired of it? I’m the one who has to make the trek,”_ said Bella. _“And Alex is so right about Sabine. It’s just suspicious that you’re going to see her second. You know, usually when a person gets magical powers, they go to see the one they love the most first. And I know that you wanted to continue on to Pine Hill.”_

“I liked you better when you couldn’t talk,” said Louisa, her cheeks flaming. Bella laughed in her mind and continued down the hill, stubbornly only going at a canter once they reached the road to Pine Hill.

 _“Gosh, you’re in an awful hurry to see the girl that you just sleep with,”_ said Bella, nickering in delight. She’d always had these thoughts, she just hadn’t been able to express them to her rider with words until just now. _“You know, it would be smart to visit every person along the way.”_

“Just go to Pine Hill,” said Louisa.

Finally, after much teasing, Bella pulled up outside the riding hall where Sabine spent her days. Bella’s laughter followed Louisa inside, and Louisa tried to fight her blush and racing heart. Stupid horse and Alex putting those thoughts into her head.

“Hello. Come back for more?” asked Sabine, stepping into Louisa’s personal bubble. “When did you get glasses?”

 _“Nobody else noticed them,”_ said Bella. Louisa rolled her eyes, but answered Sabine anyway.

“Oh, just something weird that happened. The Hermit returned magic to the world and it screwed up my vision somehow. Some Soul Rider I am,” said Louisa.

“Ooh, you’re a Soul Rider now? How fun, I’m sleeping with a mythical creature,” said Sabine. She grinned, and Louisa blushed.

“You might be magical too,” said Louisa. “I don’t know how to give you the magic, though.”

“Maybe we should go back to my bedroom and find out,” said Sabine. 

“It’s worth a try,” said Louisa. It would probably be better, too, just in case the magic was as extreme as it was for Katja. Sabine was Katja’s sister, after all, so it was a very good possibility.

Louisa didn’t even kiss Sabine until they reached her bedroom, no matter how much Sabine kissed and nipped at her neck. She could feel a strange pressure building, and she had the impression that kissing Sabine would release that pressure but also return Sabine’s magic. Not that she liked Sabine like that or anything…

Sabine pulled Louisa onto her bed and their lips crashed together, but Sabine pulled away before Louisa could kiss her.

“I hope that the vision thing is only temporary,” said Sabine. “You look much prettier without glasses.”

“You’ll never be seen in public with me anyway,” said Louisa. “We just sleep together, and we don’t do that in public.”

“Maybe I want to be seen in public with you,” said Sabine.

Louisa really didn’t have time to think about a new relationship on top of this whole magic business. So she just kissed Sabine and felt a little spark jump between them. She refused to read anything into that. Sabine was just someone she slept with. Nothing more.

She pulled away quickly and watched as a strange dark magic leaked out of the walls and into the girl on the bed. Sabine looked at her for a moment while the magic swirled around her, and then she screamed. Louisa was very fortunate that Sabine was already a screamer in bed, so nobody would question the additional sounds.

When the screaming ended, Sabine clutched her head and squinted her eyes shut. Louisa grabbed onto her and held her without even thinking about it.

“Go to sleep,” said Louisa, and kissed her forehead. Somehow, it worked. Louisa stood up and watched her sleep for a moment, feeling conflicting emotions. Confusion and anger and a strange bubbly happiness that felt like love but probably wasn’t. She wanted to stay here with Sabine, but she wouldn’t. She still had magic to spread. And besides, Sabine would be okay here in her bed. At least, that was what she told herself as she left.

 _“Well that was all very romantic,”_ said Bella.

“Oh, shut up,” said Louisa. “Should we try spreading magic through the towns or just to individual people?”

 _“Hmm, if we go to individual people, then they might spread magic that way,”_ said Bella. _“I think that Linda might be closest.”_

“Good idea,” said Louisa, and rode on down the road in search of the next person.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katja and Alex decide to make it work, and Louisa starts to get sick.

Katja’s headache still hadn’t gone by the time she woke up. It did, however, briefly go away when she saw who was sitting next to her.

“You’re awake,” said Alex. “Hey.” She smiled, and Katja smiled back before her returning headache turned it into a wince of pain.

“When did you get here?” asked Katja, holding her sore head. Her racing heart only made her head feel worse, and now she felt dizzy too. She sat up, which only made things worse.

“A while ago,” said Alex. “Louisa left me here to look after you while she went to visit Sabine.”

“Of course,” said Katja. “Those two are hopeless.”

“Are you okay?” asked Alex. “You look kind of bad.”

“I’m really dizzy and I’ve got this awful headache,” said Katja. “She couldn’t have left me any water, of course.”

“I brought a bottle up with me,” said Alex. “I ran down to the water trough and filled it while you were sleeping.”

“Thanks,” said Katja, taking the bottle. Their fingers brushed as the bottle changed hands, and then it nearly fell as the brief contact brought a new memory to the forefront of Katja’s mind.

“So what are you?” asked Alex. “Louisa explained some of it but she said that you didn’t say much before the Hermit knocked you out again.”

“I’m one of the bad guys,” said Katja. “But I’m not bad, I don’t even raise my voice.”

“I don’t get it either,” said Alex. “It’s weird, isn’t it?”

“It is,” said Katja. “I don’t know if I’m supposed to fight you or fight it. Maybe I was bad in the past but now I get the chance to be good.”

“Why would you fight me?” asked Alex. “Oh, do you remember the past incarnations of the Soul Riders?”

“Yes,” said Katja. “But when I touched you, I remembered that I killed you. A lot. And… you killed me.” She tried to shuffle away from Alex and almost fell, but Alex caught her. Alex could feel her rapid heartbeat from the hand on her back.

“Hey, it’s okay. That was the past us. Not even us, really,” said Alex.

“It might have been the past you but all the past versions of me were me,” said Katja. “I did all of those terrible things.”

“Look, I don’t know how this thing works, but maybe this is your second chance to make yourself a better person. I know that you don’t hate me, and you’re not evil. Just calm down, okay?” said Alex. 

“I’m scared, Alex,” said Katja. She trembled, her hands shaking too much to open the bottle of water. “I don’t know what to do. It’s too much to take in. Not just that I’m a bad guy, but that… well, this is going to sound silly.”

“Try me,” said Alex, opening the bottle of water for her and holding it up to Katja’s lips.

“Well, okay. I’m a siren,” said Katja. She sipped at the water. “Crazy, huh?”

“No, actually,” said Alex. “It makes sense, really.”

“How so?” asked Katja, taking the bottle of water from Alex.

“Well, your beauty, for one thing,” said Alex. Katja smiled, then grinned once she’d swallowed her mouthful of water.

“I’m flattered,” said Katja.

“Seriously, you could be a model,” said Alex. “You’re that beautiful.”

“And here I was too nervous to talk to you,” said Katja. “But are you sure? I killed so many past versions of you.”

“Yes, I’m sure. This is your second chance,” said Alex, taking Katja’s free hand in her own. “Let’s start it by changing our relationship.”

“You are just as confident as I thought you would be,” said Katja. “Yes, let’s do this. But maybe we should get off this mountain first.”

“Are you okay to ride?” asked Alex. She helped Katja stand, then helped her over to her horse. “You’re as unsteady as a newborn foal.”

“I’ll be fine,” said Katja. When she touched her horse’s withers, a smaller wave of magic passed over her. It didn’t hurt like the first one.

“Wow,” said Alex. Katja looked at her, and blushed when she found Alex staring at her.

“What?” asked Katja. “I feel so much better now.”

“You’re glowing,” said Alex. “Like, all over. Even your eyes.”

“That’s strange,” said Katja.

 _“I suppose that I had your magic while you just received your memories,”_ said Stalker. Katja somehow knew that it was her horse’s voice, even though she’d never heard him before.

“That makes sense, actually,” said Katja. “Getting both at once would’ve been too overwhelming. It’s a good thing that whatever returned the magic gave you my magic for a while.”

“Ready to go?” asked Alex.

“Ready,” said Katja, and nodded. “You can lead the way, you’re better at navigating tricky terrain than I am.”

Following Alex down the mountain, Katja felt a lot better than she had an hour ago.

***

Louisa was beginning to regret choosing to follow Kate up that mountain. A headache was starting to set in, and the magic was buzzing under her skin just waiting for an outlet. Her nose and throat also felt strange.

“Don’t tell me I’m getting a cold on top of this,” said Louisa. “That’d suck.”

 _“Beware, children, a magical girl with a cold may sneeze on you and turn you into a potted plant,”_ said Bella. Louisa sneezed on her mane, and Bella whinnied. _“I would roll, but then my coat would get muddy.”_

Louisa would have responded, but then the jumping paddock that Jessica ran came into view. She was standing in the middle of the paddock, watching Louisa with the air of someone who didn’t know that they were being watched.

“Hi, Jess,” said Louisa, waving to her once she finally arrived at the paddock.

“Hi,” said Jess, walking over to Louisa with a smile. “What brings you here?”

“Do you have a tissue?” asked Louisa. Jessica handed her a handkerchief, which Louisa took gratefully before blowing her nose.

“Did you only visit me for that?” asked Jess. “You can keep that, by the way.” She looked a little disgusted, but her cheeks were still slightly pink. Louisa put it down to the cold.

“No, something else. You might want to get somewhere comfortable,” said Louisa.

“I can carry her,” said the burly boy who was always hanging out near Jessica for some reason.

“Great,” said Louisa. “Wait, how did you know she’d need to be carried?” The boy frowned and shook his head as though he had something bothering him. Like a fly, or maybe a little voice.

“Dunno,” said the boy. “Just a feeling.”

“What’s going on?” asked Jess. Though she looked a little worried, she still stayed near Louisa.

“Some weird stuff,” said Louisa. She lifted her hand, feeling the magic gathering at her fingertips. “You’ll understand in a bit.” She touched her fingertips to Jessica’s forehead, then had to catch her as she lurched forward.

“What was that?” asked Jess, feeling as though thorns were wrapping around her. 

“Like I said, weird stuff,” said Louisa. “Sleep.” And then she had to hold onto Jessica’s full weight. She turned around, looking for the boy. “You, uh, what’s your name? Boy.”

“Buck,” said the boy. “I’ll take her.” He lifted Jessica easily and carried her over to one of the little houses. 

“Look after her,” said Louisa. “Call me if she wakes up.” If Jessica’s presence made Buck suddenly have powers, Louisa didn’t notice. Her eyes were beginning to get prickly, and she still had two other girls to go.

 _“We can stop and rest,”_ said Bella.

“Can’t rest, I have to finish this,” said Louisa. “Come on.”

Bella did most of the work riding down the road, mostly because Louisa was almost falling asleep in the saddle. The handkerchief that Jessica had given her was fairly crusted in snot by the time she got to the other rider.

“Hey, Lisa,” said Louisa. She swung out of the saddle, then her foot slipped out from under her and she decided that the ground was a nice place to be for a while.

“Are you okay?” asked Lisa, crouching down beside the other girl in concern.

“Sick I think,” said Louisa. She waved her hand. Magic was gathering at her forehead. “I’m a unicorn~”

“What?” Lisa frowned, then put the back of her hand on Louisa’s forehead.

“Two down,” Louisa whispered. “I’ll do the other one tomorrow. Goodnight.” And she closed her eyes on the bright light gathering around Lisa.

“What the hell?” Lisa frowned at the bright light that was fading away. She felt different. All tingly. “What did you just do? Uh oh. Louisa?” The other girl was quickly getting colder out here in the freezing air.

Fortunately, there was a shelter not far away. Lisa dragged Louisa over there, then just left her lying there on the ground. At least it was dry.

 _“I think that these things have blankets and pillows for people sleeping in them,”_ said her horse.

“What?” Lisa turned to look at her horse, who stood outside the shelter with Bella. “Did you just talk to me, Starshine?”

 _“Yes,”_ said Starshine. _“I only developed this ability when your hand touched Louisa’s forehead. Just like you gained the ability to heal. Now focus, Lisa, and heal her!”_

“Heal her? But how?” asked Lisa. And suddenly, she knew. It was just as easy as placing her hand on Louisa and willing it to happen.

Louisa woke up in a very similar situation to the one that Katja had been in a few hours ago.

“Hey, pretty girl,” said Louisa.

“Oh, you’re still delirious,” said Lisa. “Maybe the healing didn’t work that well.”

“Yes it did, I feel fine,” said Louisa. She sat up to prove her point. “See? Just fi-“ And then she scrambled to her feet and ran out into the snow.

 _“While you may have healed the symptoms involving the throat and nose, you didn’t heal the flu virus itself,”_ said Starshine.

“Then what do you suggest?” asked Lisa. “Should I take her to the vet?”

 _“She isn’t a horse,”_ said Starshine.

“Yeah, I can tell that by the way she’s throwing up,” said Lisa. “But there aren’t any doctors in Jorvik. Not like in the city.”

 _“A flu virus goes away on its own, anyway,”_ said Starshine. _“Just take her somewhere warm to rest and recover.”_

“Alright,” said Lisa. “You’re smart. I wish you could talk before.”

Starshine lifted his head proudly, then carried Lisa and Louisa to the nearest house. And he only got thrown up on twice.

“Sorry for throwing up on your horse,” said Louisa once Lisa had managed to get her tucked up in bed in one of the houses.

“It’s fine,” said Lisa. “He’ll be fine. You just rest, you’re sick.”

“But I can’t rest, I have to spread the magic around Jorvik,” said Louisa, starting to push the blankets off her. “I have to get to Linda.”

“Oh no, you’re not going anywhere,” said Lisa, pushing her back down into the bed. “You’ve got to rest or you’ll never get better.”

“I have all this magic and I can’t use it to cure myself of a stupid flu,” said Louisa, and coughed.

“I’m very curious about all of this magical stuff but I’ll let you rest,” said Lisa.

“Alex and Kate might be able to tell you about it,” said Louisa. “They’ve got the magic as well. And the magic of loooove.” She closed her eyes, quite happy with herself.

Much as Lisa wanted to stay and listen to whatever delirious (and hilarious) ramblings Louisa came up with, she had to clean her messy horse before he started complaining too loudly about the drying puke in his mane. Before she left, though, she asked the house’s owner to please ensure that Louisa didn’t get out of bed except to use the bathroom. And to escort her there and back, because a delirious person could do anything.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Linda and Lisa do some research, and the darkness is awakened.

Katja woke up from a nightmare, pulse racing and breath coming in sharp gasps. Her blankets felt too tight, restricting. Like the cage.

With a scream, she fell out of bed and landed on the floor. She lay there sobbing, trying to forget the memories of that awful dark room and the cage and the sight of her son…

“Kate, are you alright?” Suddenly her father was there, but Katja didn’t want to see him.

“Get away!” she screamed. She leapt to her feet and ran outside, not caring about the cold air biting through her pyjamas. She rode straight to the paddock where her sister had her own jumping course, but she wasn’t there. Not that it mattered, it wasn’t Jessica who she was looking for.

“Buck!” she called, shivering in front of the house that he stayed in. And then he was there, opening the door and frowning in confusion at her. He didn’t look like he had in the dream, bloodied and beaten and broken. He looked whole. Pure.

“Kate?” he asked. Katja shook her head and reached out for him. He backed away. “Woah there. Last time someone touched someone, that someone passed out. She’s still out.”

“I’m so sorry but I need you to remember,” said Katja. “Please remember me.” She finally put her hand on his shoulder and felt the precious magic flow through her and into him.

She watched him carefully, waiting for his face to change or for him to say something. Anything. Suddenly, she was terrified that he’d remember what she’d seen. Or that it had changed him too much.

“Buck?” she asked, trembling but not from the cold. He looked up at her, brow still furrowed.

“Mum?” Katja finally collapsed into his arms, sobbing.

“Oh, my son, I missed you,” Katja murmured, rubbing his back. “I only remembered you last night but…”

“But how?” asked Buck. “It was centuries ago when I grew up. How are we both still alive?”

“I’m immortal so you are too,” said Katja. “You don’t…” she hesitated, not wanting to remind him. “N-never mind. So you only remember growing up?”

“Yeah, with you and… my other mum? What?” Buck shook his head in confusion.

“It was a magic spell,” said Katja. She forcefully pushed aside the fresh memories of the nightmare. 

“Wow,” said Buck. “So I was hanging out with my aunt this whole time?”

“Yes,” said Katja. “That must be what drew you to her. How is she?”

“She’s sleeping in the bedroom,” said Buck. “She hasn’t woken up since Louisa did that thing to her. What did she do?”

“It’s a long story. But I’ll explain,” said Katja. She sat down on the couch with her son, relieved beyond belief to have him close to her again.

***

When Louisa was coherent again, she had a request for Lisa.

“Can you bring me Linda?” asked Louisa. “Please? I need to return her magic to her too.”

“Maybe she’ll be able to find out more about it too,” said Lisa. “She’s always reading when she’s not riding.” Louisa laughed, then began coughing. Lisa pushed a mug of lemony tea into her hands.

“Same,” said Louisa. “Thanks.” She sipped at the tea, glad that it was cool enough to not scorch her hands.

“Alright, I’m going to get her,” said Lisa. “Drink that tea, I’ll be back.”

Lisa rode to the riding hall where she knew that Linda would be. Surprisingly, the girl was not riding for once but was instead sitting down with her back against the riding hall wall. But Lisa smiled to see a book in her hands.

“Hi,” said Linda, putting the book down. She stood up and dusted off her pants, then pushed her glasses up her nose. “Come to take me up on my offer of a date?”

Lisa blushed. “Uh, maybe later. Louisa wants me to bring you to her. It’s something magical.”

“Why can’t she come to me?” asked Linda.

“She’s sick in bed with the flu,” said Lisa. “But she’s coherent and lucid.”

“Okay but if she gets me sick, she’s going to run my course while I get better,” said Linda. “She knows how a good course works, she goes up to the Pine Hill one often enough.”

“Yeah, she doesn’t go there to ride her horse,” said Lisa.

“Same thing,” said Linda. “It’ll keep her out of Sabine’s claws for a while at least.”

“True,” said Lisa. 

She rode with Linda back to the house where Louisa was staying.

“She’s here,” said Lisa, walking into the bedroom ahead of Linda.

“Oh, good,” said Louisa. “Did you explain anything to her?”

“You didn’t explain anything to me,” said Lisa.

“Alright, I’ll explain it to you both when we’re done,” said Louisa. She held out her hand. “Kneel down, please, Linda.”

“What, are you knighting me?” asked Linda.

“I have no idea. You might be a knight, I don’t know,” said Louisa. Linda shrugged and kneeled down. Louisa put her hand on the top of Linda’s head, smiling.

“Oh my days, that’s really cool,” said Linda, blinking.

“What is it?” asked Louisa. “What’s your power?”

“Oh,” said Linda. She looked at Louisa sadly. Then she looked at Lisa, and her cheeks darkened in a blush. “Oh my.”

“What is it?” asked Louisa again, grinning in excitement.

“I can see the future,” said Linda. She grinned. “And Meteor is talking to me!” Her horse neighed from outside, and then there were hoofbeats and a horse’s head pressed up against the window. Linda laughed at him.

“Oh, that silly horse,” said Lisa, giggling along with her.

“Do you realise what we are?” asked Linda, looking at the two other girls. “We can talk to our horses. I can see the future. I’m the Moon Soul Rider.” She grinned like a kid on Christmas. “This is amazing.”

“I can heal,” said Lisa. “So I must be the Star Soul Rider.”

“Alex is the Lightning Soul Rider,” said Louisa. “And Kate is actually Katja, one of the Generals. She’s good though, I think.”

“I saw her and Alex yesterday. She’s definitely good,” said Lisa.

“I’ll go and look in the library, there might be something in there about the Soul Riders,” said Linda.

“Oh right, that reminds me,” said Louisa. “Fripp, who is actually the Hermit who lives in the mountains, said that he was returning magic to the land. So see if you can find out anything about that.”

“Will do,” said Linda. “But what are you? Are you the Sun Soul Rider? You said that you can talk to your horse…”

“Fripp called me Aideen,” said Louisa. “Do you know who she is?”

“Yes,” said Linda. “You’re the most powerful Soul Rider of us all. The original one. The creator of all the other Soul Riders.”

“I am?” asked Louisa.

“Yes, I’ll bring back some books on the Soul Riders and on Aideen,” said Linda. “I wish you could come with me to the library.”

“I can’t, sorry,” said Louisa. “I’m bed-bound. Lisa has forbidden me to leave this bed until I’m better.”

“Nice thinking, Healer,” said Linda.

“I want her to get better,” said Lisa. “Rest is the best way to beat the flu.”

“Well, Lisa can go with you to the library,” said Louisa. “Make it a date.” The two of them looked at each other and blushed, to Louisa’s delight. “Are you sure I’m not cupid?”

“Silly,” said Lisa, and laughed at her. “Get better.”

Lisa definitely noticed that Linda kept looking at her and blushing as they rode to the Pine Hill mansion.

“Okay, what’s up?” she asked. “If you were white, you’d be as red as my hair.”

“I…” Linda looked away. “I can see the future, you know.”

“Yes. And what did you see?” asked Lisa. “Maybe us in bed together?”

“How did you know?” asked Linda, then bit the inside of her lip.

“Got ya,” said Lisa. 

“And something else as well,” said Linda quickly, trying to cover up her embarrassment. “I saw Louisa broken-hearted. Sabine’s going to break her heart. Damn it, I knew there was something wrong about that girl.”

“Well, that’s unsurprising,” said Lisa. “Sabine’s a bitch, of course she’d break Louisa’s heart.”

“You seem very concerned about her,” said Linda. 

“I am,” said Lisa. “But I know that it’s hopeless trying to convince her to leave Sabine. I tried to warn her away but she didn’t listen.”

“And how did you do that?” asked Linda.

“I told her that I was better for her than Sabine would be,” said Lisa. Linda groaned.

“That sounds terrible,” said Linda. “No wonder she didn’t listen to you.”

“It does now that I think about it,” said Lisa. “Ugh, I’m the worst at getting girls to like me.”

“You got me to like you,” said Linda.

“How did you know that she was broken-hearted in the vision?” asked Lisa. “She could’ve been crying about anything.”

“I know what it looks like when a girl is broken-hearted,” said Linda. “And that’s what Louisa looked like. Plus I get these feelings with visions.”

“At least she’ll have us,” said Lisa. “And now we’re going to that bitch’s house.”

“Only to use the library,” said Linda.

“Louisa said that she’s asleep anyway,” said Lisa. “Hopefully she’s still asleep after a few days.”

“Yeah, I don’t want to have to help you hide a body,” said Linda. “That’d be the worst first date ever.”

At last, they reached the house.

“Hello, Mr Sands,” said Linda. “We would like to use your library.”

“Hmm. I suppose that I can allow you to do that,” said Mr Sands. “You are a bookworm, Linda. Please ensure that your friend does not damage the books.”

“Will do,” said Linda, smiling.

“I’ll be careful,” said Lisa. She brushed past Mr Sands on her way in, but she didn’t notice the spark that jumped off her and onto him.

Mr Sands noticed, though. A shudder passed through him as his magic returned, and with it, his memories. Now he remembered. His master. His true destiny.

“Actually, girls-“ But it was too late, the two Soul Riders had already walked into the library. Now Mr Sands, or Sangordah as he remembered he was, was at an impasse- he couldn’t cause trouble or the girls would instantly know that something was wrong. He had been a strict man, true, but not to the stage that he’d kick people out of his house. Not for using the library, at least.

But those girls couldn’t find out about his master.

“So, what are we looking for?” asked Lisa as they entered Pine Hill manor’s massive library. Linda took a moment to beam at the walls of knowledge surrounding her, and inhaled the scent of precious books. Lisa smiled at her. Linda looked like a kid in a candy store.

“Oh, um.” Linda blushed as she realised that she’d been spoken to and hadn’t responded. “Anything about the Soul Riders and Aideen. I also want to find out what caused magic to leave this world.”

“Okay. So where do we start looking?” asked Lisa. “I’m, er, not exactly familiar with the Dewey Decimal system.”

“That’s why you’ve got me,” said Linda, and patted Lisa’s cheek. “Come on, I know where to start.”

They started in history first, knowing that myth and history were inseparable in Jorvik.

“Do you want to look at Aideen or the Soul Riders?” asked Linda. She’d already separated the books into two piles on one of the tables.

“Soul Riders,” said Lisa.

“Great, and I’ll look at Aideen,” said Linda, pushing one of the piles towards Lisa. She sat down at the table, and Lisa took a seat opposite her.

“Is this a date to you?” asked Lisa after opening the first book.

“Yes,” said Linda. “Is it a date to you?”

“Sure,” said Lisa. “And then we can go out for coffee later.”

“I’d like that,” said Linda. She smiled and bumped Lisa’s foot with her own. “Now read.”

The two of them read for some time, each finding only information that was already widely-known- that the four Soul Riders had been created to fight against a monstrous creature known as Garnok and his five Generals.

“Now, that’s strange,” said Linda. “There are all these mentions about Garnok and the Generals, but I can’t find anything specific.” She frowned at the book that Lisa had shown her.

“Maybe you should try to find more about them from other books?” Lisa suggested. “Try the mythology section.”

“Hmm, alright,” said Linda. “Come with me, I might need someone to hold more books.” Lisa laughed as she followed her.

The mythology section was darker than the rest of the library.

“A light must’ve blown,” said Linda. “I’ll tell Mr Sands when we leave.”

“Here’s a book,” said Lisa. It was dark in colour, titled _Myths and Monsters of Jorvik_.

“That looks promising,” said Linda. She took the book from Lisa and opened it at the ‘Contents’ page. “Ooh, ‘The Great Undoing’.”

Lisa followed the bookish girl back to the table, and this time sat down beside her while she read.

“It says here that centuries ago, a mystical being cast a spell that would erase all magic from the land. The author says that it was to rid the land of a great evil, and to bring peace to the island of Jorvik,” Linda summed up.

“That great evil sounds like Garnok,” said Lisa. “Anything on him in there?” Linda flipped back to the ‘Contents’ page, then went back through the book. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

“Huh, that’s weird,” said Linda. “There should be some pages here but they’re missing. Almost like someone ripped them out.”

“Who would do something like that?” asked Lisa. “And why? I mean, I don’t love books like you do, but to ruin one like that…”

“Someone with something to hide,” said Linda. “The bits about Garnok are missing. And I can’t find out anything about the Generals.”

“Well, Katja will be able to tell us something,” said Lisa. “Any names?”

“No,” said Linda. “This is so weird.”

“I’ll go and look for more books,” said Lisa. She got up, leaving Linda staring at the book. One of the books had detailed how the Moon Soul Rider used her powers. It sounded complicated, but Linda knew well how tricky language could be. On a whim, she used her power and touched the book.

In her mind’s eye, Linda saw a darkness surrounding the book. The book flipped open, and the darkness became a blade that covered the pages before slicing them out of the book. Linda concentrated, willing her power to show her more. What she saw made her gasp, and her eyes flew open. But she could not forget the vision.

“Lisa, we have to go,” said Linda, running to find her friend.

Mr Sands watched them leave from his bedroom window. A headache had settled in not long after he’d remembered. Using even that small amount of magic had been taxing.

“Run, little Soul Riders,” Mr Sands murmured. “I do so love a chase.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Linda does a little field research but only progresses her relationship.

Louisa was sitting up in bed reading a book when Lisa and Linda retuned, both girls quite out of breath.

“What’s up?” asked Louisa. “You two look frightened.”

“Well, good to see that you’re better, at least,” said Linda. “Anyway, one of our enemies has awakened.”

“Are you sure he’s an enemy, though?” asked Lisa. “Kate turned out to be Katja, and she’s still good.”

“I know what I saw,” said Linda. “Mr Sands ripped out those pages about Garnok so we wouldn’t find out about him.”

“Mr Sands is one of the bad guys? That’s ominous,” said Louisa. “I hope his daughter isn’t the same.” Linda and Lisa shared a meaningful look but said nothing.

“Maybe we should still ask Katja, to be sure,” said Lisa. “Do you know where she is?”

“She’s been spending a lot of time with Alex,” said Linda. “But Alex also said that she hadn’t seen her for a few days.”

“I remember now,” said Lisa, snapping her fingers. “She rode past me this morning when I was setting my race up. But if she didn’t go to see Alex, then where would she go?”

“Maybe to see her sister,” said Louisa. “I returned Jessica’s magic to her yesterday.”

“I’ll go and check,” said Linda. “Will you two be alright here on your own?”

“I guess so,” said Louisa. Linda frowned at Lisa.

“I know what you’re thinking, Lisa, but don’t do it,” said Linda. “She won’t listen to you when she’s well, trying to talk her out of it now will only make her upset.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Louisa.

“Lisa can see the future and she saw you heartbroken,” said Lisa. “Sabine’s going to break your heart.”

“Oh, not this again,” said Louisa with a roll of her eyes. Linda sighed and left, closing the door on the argument.

It was still quite chilly outside, but Linda was grateful for the brisk ride clearing her thoughts.

 _“While we’re out, can you pick up some carrots?”_ asked Meteor. _“I’m so hungry.”_

“I think I preferred it when you only showed your hunger around food,” said Linda, ruffling her horse’s mane. His colours had slowly begun to change following Louisa’s gift of magic, his mane taking on a white tint at the roots and his coat becoming more of an orange colour. Meteor snorted as he cantered along.

At the jumping ring, Linda dismounted and let her hungry horse eat the carrots that Jessica had left out. The lights were on in the small house, so Linda walked towards it. As she did, she heard voices.

“So he’s our… son?”

“In a sense, yes.”

“Never thought I’d become a mother so early.”

“You never thought you’d become a Soul Rider either, Alex.”

“Um, hello? Can I come in?” asked Linda, knocking on the front door. There was movement inside and then the door opened, expelling some of the welcoming warmth.

“Sure,” said Katja, smiling. “Come on in, I was just telling Alex about what I remembered last night.”

“Hey, Linda. I’m a mum kind of,” said Alex, grinning and waving at her friend.

“That sounds interesting,” said Linda, eyeing the lounge room’s occupants. Buck, Jessica’s friend, was sitting in the middle of the room on his own armchair.

“It is. I’m still piecing together the memories but centuries ago, I had a child with Alex,” said Katja. “The Soul Riders reincarnate, but the Generals are immortal.”

“You have a lot of information,” said Linda. She took off her backpack and took out a notebook and pen. “Care to share that information with me?”

“As long as it doesn’t cause me too much emotional distress,” said Katja. “What I remembered last night hit me hard.”

“She won’t tell me about it either,” said Alex.

“Oh no don’t worry, it’s nothing personal,” said Linda. “Just stuff about the Generals and Garnok.” Katja shivered at the name.

“I can’t talk about him but I can tell you about the Generals,” said Katja. She sat down on the bigger couch next to Alex, who put her arm around her. “What do you want to know?”

“Well, if you’re immortal, then you probably know who the Generals are,” said Linda. “Mr Sands is one, I just discovered. Scary stuff.” She shivered at the thought of being under that man’s roof.

“Yes, I do,” said Katja. “Jess is one, and so is Sabine. And then there’s another, but she’s been gone for centuries. I’m sorry I can’t tell you more about her, but it’s like there’s this pink fog in my mind stopping me from remembering everything.”

“It’s okay,” said Alex, rubbing Katja’s arm. “You’ve already remembered a huge amount.”

“So Sabine is evil,” said Linda. “I knew it.”

“Not necessarily,” said Alex. “Katja is a General too, but she’s good now. Jess probably is too, she was nice enough before her magic awakened.”

“That may be true,” said Linda. “I guess we’ll see when she wakes up. But Sabine was so mean and horrible before, and I had this vision-”

“Vision? Oh, so you’re the Moon Soul Rider,” said Katja. “So now we have Moon, Lightning, me, and Mr Sands. Even sides.”

“Only you’re on our side, right?” asked Alex.

“Of course, especially after that memory nightmare thing,” said Katja. Alex held her a little closer, and Linda felt a pang of jealousy.

“Oh, that’s right, and Louisa is Aideen,” said Linda. “What do you know about her?”

“Aideen? Uh…” Katja shook her head. “Damn brain fog. I feel like I know something important but I just can’t get it. She reincarnates like the other Soul Riders. She also created Jorvik and she’s super powerful.”

“Hopefully she isn’t killing Lisa, then,” said Linda. “But that brings me back to my main point: if Sabine is evil, Louisa is in trouble.”

“Argh, stupid brain fog,” Katja growled. “I feel like this has happened before.”

“Let Louisa make her own mistakes,” said Alex. “If she is the goddess reborn, she’ll be able to handle herself.”

“I do remember her being strong,” said Katja. “Sabine is relatively weak, I think. Mr Sands is the worst, and there was also someone called Laverne. Who also feels familiar, but only slightly.”

“Another kid of ours?” asked Alex.

“You’re surprisingly okay with the idea of having children,” said Katja.

“Nothing fazes that girl,” said Linda. “You could drop a UFO in front of her and she’d find it cool.”

“That’s true,” said Alex. “I’m already looking forward to catching up with this one.” She looked at Buck, who had been silent this whole time.

“Do you remember anything, Buck?” asked Linda.

“Not really,” said Buck. “It’s all kind of a blur after I became a teenager.” Katja looked relieved at that.

“Maybe I’ll remember more after I have a sleep,” said Katja. “I’ve been awake since last night.”

“Want me to leave?” asked Alex. Katja snuggled further into Alex’s side.

“Stay,” said Katja. She looked back at Linda. “Sorry I couldn’t help you more, Linda.”

“It’s okay,” said Linda. “We’re all dealing with this as best we can. I’ll leave you to your rest and go back to the other two. Hopefully Louisa hasn’t killed Lisa or something.”

Linda rode past the stables on her way back to Lisa and Louisa. The stable girl there was grooming one of the horses, and waved to Linda as she dismounted.

“Hi there,” said the woman. “Come to lend a hand in the stables? I pay well.”

“No, I’m just getting some things,” said Linda. She had to replace the carrots that Meteor had eaten, and get some food for Starshine and Bella. She noted as she paid that her shillings pouch was feeling rather light. Maybe she would have to do some work, but not right now. Doing something as ordinary as mucking out stables in this strange new world would just be too weird.

“Okay then, come back if you change your mind,” said the stable girl. “We always need all the help we can get around here.”

“Will do,” said Linda. After putting her purchases in her bag, she mounted Meteor and continued on her way back to the house.

“Yay, you’re back,” said Lisa, hugging her as soon as she walked in the door. Linda could feel her girlfriend trembling.

“Oh no, what did you do?” asked Linda.

“I tried to tell her what was happening and she kicked me out,” said Lisa. “I was only trying to look out for her.” Linda sighed, rubbing Lisa’s back in an attempt to soothe her.

“Just let it go,” said Linda. “When she gets her heart broken, it’ll be her own damn fault for not listening. And, who knows, maybe it won’t happen. The book I found on the Moon Soul Rider said the future visions only show possible futures. Just because the one about us getting together happened doesn’t mean that the other one will.”

“But we’re her friends, we should be looking out for her,” said Lisa. She sniffled, and Linda kissed her salty cheek.

“When someone is in love, nothing can keep them from being with their love,” said Linda. “Not friends, not family, not even the law. Imagine if someone said you couldn’t be with me, would you listen to them?”

“No,” said Lisa, sniffling.

“Exactly, so Louisa won’t listen to us,” said Linda. “Though at least she finally admits that she loves the girl.”

“We probably didn’t help with that, with our nagging,” said Lisa. “Darn. That backfired horribly.”

“Is she upset too, do you know?” asked Linda.

“I dunno,” said Lisa, shaking her head. “I just left when she told me to. But she probably is upset.”

“I’ll try to talk to her,” said Linda. “You go wash your face and I’ll see how she is.”

“You’re surprisingly incredible,” said Lisa. “Did becoming the Moon Soul Rider give you years of ancient wisdom or something?”

“No,” said Linda, thinking about Katja and Alex. “I just talked to someone who showed me just how powerful love can be.”

Linda couldn’t hear anything coming from the bedroom, certainly not any crying. But that didn’t mean much.

“Louisa?” Linda called, knocking softly on the door.

No response. Linda sighed and entered anyway. The room didn’t look messy, but the air felt charged. Louisa was asleep, and Linda was sure that she was glowing faintly with some strange energy.

“You poor thing,” said Linda, sitting down on the bed. “You’re trying to fight a cold and adjust to these new powers, you don’t need to be fighting us as well.” She brushed her palm over Louisa’s warm forehead. The girl didn’t wake at all.

Linda envied the girl her easy rest. Katja was comfortable with her girlfriend and would probably fall asleep within minutes, and Louisa was held under by exhaustion. Linda’s mind just wouldn’t shut up, though. She’d felt wired since leaving the manor, and watched.

“Hey,” said Lisa when she finally walked back into the room. “How is she?”

“Sleeping,” said Linda. “That’s the best thing for her at the moment. I don’t know how I’ll manage to fall asleep tonight.”

“What if I sung to you?” asked Lisa. “I’m a pretty good singer.”

“Maybe it’d help if I unloaded everything onto you,” said Linda. Lisa smirked, and Linda blushed.

“I have a better idea,” said Lisa. “I’ll distract you.” She wrapped her arms around Linda, pulling her closer, and kissed her. Linda returned the kiss, feeling heat suffuse her cheeks and drift down her neck. They’d only been dating for a few hours, wasn’t this moving too fast? She said as much to Lisa, but her girlfriend just laughed.

Speed, Lisa explained, was dependent on the situation and the people involved. Some people liked to jump right into things, needing intimacy to dissolve physical barriers built by tension. But others could move slow, not even removing clothing until many dates later. Linda said that she wanted to be fast, like Lisa was in the races.

And they didn’t regret it, even as they fumbled through their first time and had to be shushed by the house’s owner a few times. In the end, the heat and passion of the situation melted away Linda’s worries and told the swirling thoughts to go away and come back later. Lisa’s hands on her body were all that mattered, and her kisses and soft utterances.

“Scrawny little chicken,” Linda murmured, referring to the bones that she could easily feel under Lisa’s skin. Lisa poked her tongue out at her and allowed herself to be kissed, still shivering from Linda’s touches. There was a knock on the wall that drew their attention.

“Congratulations on the sex,” Louisa called through the wall. Lisa blushed but Linda just laughed, comfortable in her girlfriend’s embrace. The day had somehow slipped away while they’d been exploring, and now the room was dark. Linda was tired, but first there was one matter that had to be taken care of. Now that Louisa was awake, anyway.

“Come on, we’d better apologise,” said Linda, beginning to get out of bed.

“But I’m so comfortable,” said Lisa, tugging on her hand.

“You’ll be a lot more comfortable after this,” said Linda. She pulled her pants back on, not bothering with underwear, and zipped her hoodie up. Lisa grudgingly followed, though she looked even scrawnier in just her hooded vest and underwear.

“Sorry I kept trying to make you break up with Sabine,” said Lisa, standing in the doorway awkwardly.

“At least you made me admit to myself that I do love her,” said Louisa. “You made me jealous, you know, having sex right next door. My girlfriend is still comatose. At least, I think she’s my girlfriend. She was saying something like that before I gave her magic.”

“And you’re sick,” said Lisa. 

“Getting better,” said Louisa. “Thanks to you looking after me. And I know that you were just trying to look out for me. But if Katja turned out okay, maybe Sabine will too.”

“That’s what Alex said,” said Linda. “I’ll tell you more in the morning, though, I’m finally tired and Lisa really wants to go back to bed.”

“Be a little quieter this time,” said Louisa. “These walls are paper-thin.”

“Noted,” said Linda, blushing. Louisa smirked as her friends left the room. She heard the bed move next door, and then a kiss-muffled moan. With a sigh, she got up and shut the door for privacy. She still wished that her girlfriend was here, or that she at least had her vibrator (which she had left at Sabine’s place, like an idiot), but for now her fingers and hairbrush would have to suffice. And wasn’t sex good for illness anyway? Something about endorphins. It couldn’t hurt, anyway.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sabine finally wakes up and reunites with Louisa. Meanwhile, Mr Sands does some digging into the past.

Just as Louisa had hoped, her cold went away fairly quickly. So when her phone rang and it was Sabine’s number, she was completely prepared. Her heart pounded and her hands shook as she answered the phone.

“I have a piercing headache because of whatever the hell you did to me. Get over here and fuck me,” said Sabine, and ended the call. Louisa was too eager to be disappointed at Sabine’s harsh voice.

Louisa saddled up and mounted Bella, then rode quickly for the mansion. She expected Sabine to be waiting downstairs for her, but she wasn’t. The place was strangely empty.

“Hello?” Louisa called, her voice echoing in the empty front room. Nobody answered. Louisa shrugged and walked up the stairs, taking the familiar route to Sabine’s bedroom. The sight she saw when she opened the door sent heat directly to her loins.

“Finally,” said Sabine, removing the vibrator from her pussy and switching it off. Her naked body was a sight to behold, and Louisa let her eyes roam over it while she closed the door and stripped down to her underwear.

“I’ve missed you,” said Louisa.

“Of course you did, nobody else on this island would fuck you,” said Sabine. “They’re all making goo-goo eyes at each other.”

“Exactly,” said Louisa. She pulled her panties off and Sabine got up to finger her, making her moan. Sabine took off Louisa’s bra with her other hand, then sucked on her breasts and nipped at her nipples. Louisa moaned again, arching her body into Sabine’s touch.

“That’s just a taste,” Sabine murmured into her ear, and hooked her finger inside Louisa, eliciting another moan and a buck of the hips. “Please me well and I’ll continue.” She withdrew the finger and Louisa’s pussy throbbed.

“I’ll make you shudder with delight,” said Louisa. Sabine’s brown eyes sparkled.

“I’ll hold you to that promise,” said Sabine. She walked back over to the bed. “Lie down on your back.” Louisa was glad that she was over her cold, because face-sitting made it hard enough to breathe without a cold clogging up her nose. She took the position after removing her glasses, then guided Sabine’s pussy to her mouth and gave it a lick. It was still very wet. Her thighs were also slick with her juices, so Louisa licked them, too.

Sabine moaned, leaning into the wooden headboard that she was clutching. Delighted shivers were already making their way up and down her body, and Louisa hadn’t even slipped her tongue in yet. But when she did, Sabine clutched the headboard a little harder and moaned louder. Louisa grabbed her ass and pulled Sabine down so that she could get her tongue in deeper, swirling it around and prodding places inside that made Sabine shudder with delight. Her breathing came harder, and she could feel the pleasure pulsing through her. She moved her hips up a little, wanting her clit to get attention, and screamed in delight when Louisa nibbled at it.

“I’m gonna come,” Sabine panted, feeling herself wetter than she’d ever been. That other new thing was coiling inside her too, making her fingertips prickle. Her fingernails became claws that gouged into the wood, but she didn’t let the change continue any farther than that. Since waking up, she’d been denied orgasm by her new powers too many times. And having control over it felt so good.

Louisa thought that the fluttering skin on Sabine’s legs was from her orgasm, but she was too busy enjoying the sounds of Sabine’s orgasm to ponder it further.

“How was that?” asked Louisa, and gave her pussy a few more licks. Sabine moaned again, moving her hips. Neither of them saw the shadows coiling around the ceiling.

“I’ve missed this,” said Sabine, and arched her back with another moan as another orgasm rippled through her. “Fuck, you’re a good lay.”

“Good enough for a reward?” asked Louisa. Sabine unsteadily climbed off Louisa and got on her hands and knees above her, her claws tearing the sheets slightly. She couldn’t finger with her fingers like this, so Sabine instead gave Louisa the same treatment she’d got. She kissed her way down Louisa’s body, delighting in her moans, and then grinned when Louisa gave a much louder moan when Sabine found her clit. A quick application of her magic made her teeth normal again, and then Sabine nibbled at Louisa’s clit. A thought crossed her mind, but Sabine didn’t know how her magic worked yet. Fucking Louisa with shadow tentacles could wait until she knew their effects and how they worked. Sabine’s tongue, however, sufficed nicely.

Louisa’s moans were testament to how good Sabine was with her tongue. Sabine lapped up the wetness, nuzzling Louisa’s thighs before moving her tongue back inside. Louisa’s fingers clutched at Sabine’s hair, her hips bucking up as her back arched. Sabine kept her tongue in when Louisa reached her orgasm, flicking her tongue inside as much as she could so that Louisa moaned louder. She seemed breathless when Sabine finally retrieved her tongue, licking her lips. Sabine waited for Louisa to come down before speaking.

“Did you just miss me for my body?” asked Sabine, sitting facing Louisa. Louisa sat up so that they were eye-to-eye.

“No,” said Louisa. “Honestly, as sexy as you are, I didn’t just miss your body.”

“You like me, don’t you?” said Sabine. 

“Yes,” said Louisa, her heart pounding. “I really do.”

“Well then, do you want to be my girlfriend?” asked Sabine.

“Yes,” said Louisa, and quickly leaned forward, kissing her. “Yes, I’d love to be your girlfriend.”

“Brilliant,” said Sabine, and smiled. 

Miles away, a van drove down a narrow road towards a secluded beach. Since discovering what he was, Mr Sands had done a lot of research into his origins. His master, he had discovered, was a massive, tentacled sea monster named Garnok. His research had led him here, to this beach. His van towed a boat, not just for a cover story, but to actually go out on the water in search of his master.

According to local legends, both recorded in history books and spread through word of mouth, there had once been an enormous squid creature (some called it Leviathan, some called it the Kraken) that resided on the ocean floor not far from Jorvik. It had once been very active, upturning water craft and consuming sailors and fish alike, but not anymore. It had become quiet, though people didn’t dare go near it. The superstition had arisen from tales of deep-sea divers who had gone to investigate the place and never returned. Perhaps Garnok was powerful enough to use his magic despite being turned to stone. Or perhaps he had already trained minions to protect him before The Great Undoing. Garnok was intelligent, and resourceful.

It was a quiet journey to the spot where Garnok resided on the ocean floor. Mr Sands could feel the power even sitting in his boat. The very air seemed to shimmer with it, and inky blackness spread through the water. He looked down, trying to find his master beneath the darkness.

“I am here, master,” said Mr Sands. “I will do whatever it takes to free you.”

Deep below, stone flaked away from a tentacle. And Garnok began to awaken.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The new couples spend some time together.

While dark forces gathered deep under the ocean surrounding Jorvik, a love bubble descended on the mainland. Linda and Lisa went on long trail rides together, holding hands whenever possible. 

“This is a really nice place,” said Linda as Lisa showed her a path through the trees. Meteor’s and Starshine’s hooves were crusted in white snow, and Starshine’s white coat was muddy to his withers. Lisa had been surprised when she’d awoken one morning to find him white with a blue mane and tail. Meteor had undergone a similar transformation, his coat becoming chestnut with a white mane and tail. His white socks were mud-coloured now, but Lisa had seen them in all their white glory.

“Well, you find nice places when you go exploring,” said Lisa. “Starshine and I are always out exploring, when we’re not racing.”

“And now you have an exploring buddy,” said Linda, grinning at her. Lisa rode a little closer to her and closed the distance between them with a kiss. Strangely, despite the icy air, their lips were warm.

“Dismount if you must kiss,” said Starshine with a snort, stepping away from Meteor before their tack could become tangled.

“Alright then,” said Linda, still grinning at her girlfriend. Her heart fluttered at the thought that this beautiful girl, this future rock star, was now her girlfriend. She stopped Meteor beneath a tree, where there was a small patch of grass not covered with snow, and dismounted. She didn’t need to tie him up anymore, not now that she could communicate with him with her mind. And now that she could see the future, she could tell whether or not he was going to wander off. 

Once they were dismounted, Lisa sat down on a frosty log and pulled Linda close to her for more kisses. Warmth flooded through her, warming her from the tips of her ears to her toes.

“Who knew a bookish nerd could be such a good kisser?” said Lisa. “And so pretty.”

“Well, I learned a little from reading,” said Linda. “But you’re a good teacher. And for that compliment, I think I’ll make out with you some more.”

With the heat from the kissing and the love, neither girl noticed the cold. Their horses shivered, though, and wished that their riders would hurry up and go home already. Couldn’t they kiss inside?

In a mansion in Pine Hill, Sabine was discovering the joys of having a girlfriend when they couldn’t have sex.

“So convenient that just after we start dating, you can’t have sex,” said Sabine, entering one of the many sitting rooms with a box of pain killers and a pot of tea.

“Hey, I don’t control my cycle,” said Louisa.

“Well, you should,” said Sabine. “Because next time we have sex, I have plans.”

“Tell them to me when my uterus isn’t shredding itself apart,” said Louisa.

“Alright then,” said Sabine. “But it’s good, I promise.” She sat on the couch next to her girlfriend, and Louisa smiled and poured herself a glass of water with shaky hands.

“But it’s okay, right?” said Louisa. “I might feel sick but we can get to know each other.”

“Well, you know that I’m the best horse rider in the country,” said Sabine. “No matter what anyone else says.”

“Oh, of course,” said Louisa, swallowing some pills and then wrapping her arm around her girlfriend. “And you’re the most high-class girl here.”

“You better believe it,” said Sabine. “I wish my hair was nicer, though. It just never does what I want it to.”

“What if I tried brushing it?” asked Louisa.

“I suppose that might be romantic,” said Sabine. “As offensive as that sounded.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it to sound offensive,” said Louisa. Sabine smirked and got up, going up to her bedroom to retrieve her hairbrush. Louisa leaned back into the couch cushions, her hands on her churning stomach. She really hoped that she wouldn’t accidentally throw up on Sabine. Not today, when they were having a movie date at Sabine’s home.

When Sabine returned with the hairbrush, Louisa positioned herself so that she could brush her girlfriend’s hair. Out of the bun that Sabine normally wore it in, her hair was naturally kinked.

“Your hair is as kinky as you,” said Louisa, surprised that the brush moved through the black hair so smoothly.

“I know,” said Sabine. “You’ll see just how kinky when I can tell you my plan.” Her gaze drifted up to the ceiling, and Louisa followed her gaze. Shadows coiled around the ceiling, reaching out from the darker corners.

“Woah,” said Louisa.

“Thank you for giving me these wonderful powers,” said Sabine. “And, just so we don’t get tempted, I’ll show you my true form. If you want.”

“Oh, please do,” said Louisa, putting the hairbrush down. “I was wondering what the magic did to you. Can your horse talk to you?”

“I haven’t checked yet,” said Sabine. “But it would be wonderful to be able to communicate with my horse like that.”

“It is,” said Louisa, smiling. “Bella is really talkative, though.” Sabine laughed.

“I can imagine,” said Sabine. “Just be careful not to look like a loony when you’re talking to her. It’ll make me look bad.”

“I will,” said Louisa. “Now, show me what you look like.”

Sabine had to make some more room for herself on the couch, but then she closed her eyes and her brow furrowed in concentration. Darkness surrounded her, seeming to be drawn from the shadows coiling around the ceiling. Her fingernails became claws, her mouth opened to reveal sharp teeth, and her eyes became bigger with no whites. They were all pupil. But the biggest change was in her lower body. The shadows coiled around her legs, and Louisa finally discovered why she’d had to make room.

“Ta-da,” said Sabine, moving her black and red scaled fish tail.

“Oh my gosh,” said Louisa. “You’re a mermaid. That is so cool.” She grinned, and Sabine had to laugh at her eager look.

“I’m a siren, actually,” said Sabine. “But it’s a similar concept. Mermaids are just the tamer version.”

“It’s still really cool,” said Louisa. “Sing for me.”

“Not when you’re currently unable to have sex,” said Sabine. “I’m not cruel, despite what people might say.”

“No one has ever accused you of being cruel, Sabine,” said Louisa. “Snobbish, yes. But cruel? No.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” said Sabine.

“I wouldn’t be with you if you were cruel,” said Louisa.

“Yes, cruelty isn’t exactly conducive to love,” said Sabine.

“Your scales are so pretty,” said Louisa. “Can I touch them?”

“Would you touch a fish’s scales?” Sabine asked. “You idiot. They may look gorgeous, but they’re quite sharp. Trust me.”

“But you don’t have any cuts,” said Louisa, looking at Sabine’s hands. She didn’t avoid Sabine’s claws, despite their sharpness.

“Yes, my new magic also included some healing powers,” said Sabine.

“Lisa has healing powers too,” said Louisa. “And Linda can see the future.” She frowned as she remembered what Linda had said to her about Sabine. That couldn’t be true. The future could be changed, everything she’d ever read about the future had said that. So maybe Sabine wouldn’t hurt her.

“And what can you do?” asked Sabine.

“So far, just talk to Bella and give other people their powers,” said Louisa. “I wish I could change forms like you.”

“Who knows, maybe you’ll discover something,” said Sabine. “But I’m glad you like my new form and the shadows.”

“Are you kidding? I love them,” said Louisa, and leaned in to kiss her girlfriend.

In a cozy little cottage between a jumping paddock and a stable, two women cuddled together on the couch while a teenaged boy sat in an armchair reading a book.

“I can’t believe you were ever pregnant,” said Alex, rubbing a hand over Kate’s flat stomach.

“Well, it wasn’t in this body, obviously,” said Kate. “That’d make me at least… how old are you, Buck?”

“Sixteen,” said Buck.

“Sixteen years older than I am now,” said Kate. “I’d be ancient.”

“You are ancient,” said Alex, smirking at her. She giggled as Kate gently smacked her with a pillow. Kate smiled when Alex rested her head on Kate’s lap and wrapped her arms around Kate’s waist.

“You know what I mean,” said Kate. “It was centuries ago that I had him, and I’ve had a few different bodies since then.”

“Has he?” asked Alex, looking at Buck. Kate stroked her fingers through Alex’s hair, drawing a smile out of her girlfriend.

“No,” said Kate, stiffening. “I don’t want to tell you why, either.” Alex sensed that her girlfriend was upset, so she didn’t push the subject.

“So, we’re a family now,” said Alex. “That’s pretty wild, but I like it.” She felt Kate relax, and smiled again.

“I’m glad,” said Kate. “You just got a girlfriend and new powers and a new family.”

“Tin Can also turned into a golden little pony last night,” said Alex.

“Stalker changed too,” said Kate. “He still has some dapples, but now his mane and tail are dark blue.”

“Cool,” said Alex. Kate laughed.

“Thank you so much for not freaking out,” said Kate. “I don’t know how you’re not, but I’d struggle without you here.”

“I know,” said Alex. “Don’t worry, you’ve got me. I’ve liked you for so long.”

“Aww, come here and kiss me,” said Kate. Alex sat up, grinning, and kissed her girlfriend.

“Maybe I should get to know my parents,” said Buck, looking away from the kissing pair with the embarrassment of a child watching their parents being romantic in public.

“Well, I like making cross-country trails,” said Alex. “And riding them, of course. I also have four brothers, one younger than me but the rest are older. My little pony Tin Can is my best friend and lifelong horse companion. I always thought that about him but now I’ve discovered that it’s actually true, which is so cool. I also like long forest rides with Tin Can, and honesty is very important to me.” Kate shifted uncomfortably at the last point.

“Oh, but it’s okay, you don’t have to tell me everything yet if you don’t want to,” said Alex, gently taking Kate’s hands in her own. “You can have your secrets. I don’t want to see you upset.” Kate smiled at her, tears in her eyes, and Alex kissed her again.

“And you?” Buck asked, looking at his other mother.

“Well, I’m probably the complete opposite,” said Kate. “I like ordered races, like six bar jumping and trail rides. Not the trails like your mother, but where you mark out paths with poles. I love fashion and… a while ago, I did some modelling for a company called Glamour. I’ve also loved your mother’s soul for centuries, even though I was supposed to be her enemy.”

“Love conquers all, huh?” said Alex, smiling at her girlfriend.

“It certainly does,” said Kate.

Near the coast of Jorvik, in a town close to where Garnok had been trapped in the ship, a gnarled pair of hands flipped through an ancient tome. This library had a surprising amount of information on Garnok. Mr Sands was surprised to find that he was even discovering new things about himself. And he’d only had to sweet-talk the librarian and use a little magic in order to gain access to these hidden archives.

He stopped on a page depicting an image. It appeared to be a squirrel, but it looked more magical. The illustration was in colour, so for some reason the squirrel was light blue with pink and white markings on its body. The paws of the small creature were stretched out, and a circle representing the world was depicted with some kind of flash around it. The title was simply ‘The Great Undoing’. Mr Sands already knew about this tragic event, of course, having read the book before the girls could get to it. But this one detailed more about what had happened to Garnok.

_“When the spell was cast, magic instantly left Jorvik. Any magical creatures became mortal, and forgot what they’d been before. Not even in dreams did they remember what they once had been. And as for the creatures who could not become human, they instead were frozen in stone. Any creatures left in other dimensions were trapped there forever, never to see the light of day again. All ways to access this dimension were also gone. There is no known way to undo this spell, as all have tried and failed. A bald man always stops them. We do not know what has happened to Fripp. Perhaps he, too, has been frozen in stone. It would be just for him to suffer as Garnok has done. Perhaps someday, someone will work out how to bring magic back to Jorvik and free our master. And then, the Era of Garnok can begin.”_

Mr Sands nodded as he read the passage, and closed the book with new determination boiling through him. He had his suspicions about what had happened to Fripp, the evil one. Garnok was reawakening. He could feel it. So it was entirely possible that Fripp was around again too. And how hard could it be to find a blue squirrel?

“I will avenge you, my lord,” said Mr Sands. “It is my duty as your General. I live to serve you.” Mr Sands felt a wave of gratitude and gladness from the powerful entity that was so nearby.

 _“Bring me back,”_ said a voice in his head. _“Reunite the Generals. Break the seals. I have faith in you, Sangordah. You have never failed me before.”_


End file.
